PHILIPSBURG—St. Maarten will host the CONCACAF Boys Under 15 Championship Tournament August 7 to 18. Members of the St. Maarten Soccer Association executive board met with the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunication and Transportation (TEATT) Claret Connor to update him on the planning progress of the tournament. The tournament, which has been held on Trinidad and Tobago and the Cayman Islands in the past, will consist of 15 teams from across the region, and St. Maarten has been given the opportunity to join the regional football fraternity by hosting it this year. The island can expect to receive approximately 1,000 players, coaches, staff, dignitaries and athlete family members Minister Connor lauded the executive board of the St. Maarten Soccer Association for accepting the responsibility of organizing such a large tournament and the significant economic impact that the tournament will have on the island during the off season. The Minister echoed the need for diversifying the nation's tourism product by placing emphasis on events such as regional tournaments as a positive development in our Sports Tourism niche market. Moreover, St. Maarten will have the opportunity to host this tournament for the next 4-5 years.